


Romance is the strangest and messiest thing ever

by AMysteriousWr1ter



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, College, F/F, F/M, Finnick is straighter than a ruler, Ignore these random tags, Implied/Referenced Sex, Johanna Mason is bisexual, Katniss is also queer but doesn't use labels, Of course I'm making characters be queer, POV Katniss Everdeen, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Underage Drinking, University, i write too much
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-16 19:47:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29829996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AMysteriousWr1ter/pseuds/AMysteriousWr1ter
Summary: Katniss Everdeen had been slightly interested in Soulmates as a child, but that was quite natural for her age, But after her father's death, she began to dread the idea of soulmates. To her, the idea was restricting and quite unbearable, so it was quite annoying when she woke up with a tattoo, her soulmate mark. But when Katniss meets Peeta Mellark, a boy she referred to as Pita Bread, at Finnick's dorm party, things change.
Relationships: Annie Cresta/Finnick Odair, Gale Hawthorne/Madge Undersee, Johanna Mason/Original Female Character(s), Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark
Kudos: 9





	Romance is the strangest and messiest thing ever

**Author's Note:**

> Dang I'm finally writing about a f/m couple.
> 
> But don't worry, there's still LGBTQ+ characters. I can't make myself write a series without them.

When I was a little girl I had been told about soulmates. I had only shown a bit of interest in them around second grade when my parents had discussed them with me. The concept of having a true love seemed intriguing, but there was quite a high chance that I wouldn’t receive a soulmate. Only around 47% of the population got soulmate marks, as they were called. 

My mother and father had sat me down at the dining table during the evening. I didn’t remember everything they’d said, but the details that stood out were quite important. Soulmate marks appeared as tattoos on people’s 20th birthdays, assuming they would even have a soulmate. The tattoos were unique like snowflakes, except two people had them, rather than one.

As an eight year old child, something like that seemed quite interesting. But once my father died in a car crash, I soon realized that the death of a soulmate could break people, or at least broke my mother. 

My mother didn’t speak for quite some time, so naturally I ended up raising my sister, Prim, for a few years. Eventually, after years of therapy, my mother seemed to be more alive than she had been after the crash. She still wasn’t as happy, but I saw her smile from time to time. Of course I still didn’t feel like she was a caring mother, but I understood the pain must’ve been horrible.

Quite frankly, I had forgotten about soulmates for a while. Sure, some of my friends mentioned them, but I rarely thought of my potential soulmate. In fact, the thought hadn’t crossed my mind, but that changed when I woke up with a tattoo stretching down my arm.

I woke up abruptly as I was shaken by my roommate, Johanna. I groaned, swearing at her under my breath. She must not have heard, as she continued to shake me awake. Either that, or she simply didn’t care. 

After a few more seconds, I’d had enough. “What do you want?” I muttered, grabbing my pillow and swinging it at Johanna, who stopped, chuckling.

“You overslept, and Finnick's dorm party is tonight. Just thought I’d remind you,” she explained, crossing her arms as if that was a valid reason to disturb my sleep.

I glared at her. “That’s tonight, not now,” I mumbled, pulling my sheets over my face. “Besides, that’s a shitty reason to wake me.” I felt around the bed for my pillow and once I’d found it, I threw it in the general direction that I figured Johanna was in.

I heard the pillow slump against the floor, indicating that it hadn’t hit Johanna. 

“You’re a bad shot, and it seems like a good reason to me. It’s not like you need to sleep in until ten in the morning,” replied Johanna, most likely rolling her eyes. 

I pulled the covers down so I could glare at her once more. “I don’t care,” I mumbled, rolling over to my side. Suddenly, I realized what time Johanna had said. I whipped my head around, my eyes wide. “I’m sorry, ten AM?”

Johanna smirked, grabbing my hand. She yanked me out of bed, pulling me onto my feet. “Yeah, so you should be glad I woke you,” Johanna added, letting go of my arm. 

I mumbled something insulting at a low volume that she wouldn’t hear, as I wasn’t in the mood to insult Johanna to her face. Instead, I murmured, “shut up.”

“No can do,” chuckled Johanna, heading to my door. “I’ll give you privacy to change.” She stepped outside, closing the door. It creaked loudly, almost as if the wood was screaming.

“I’m locking the door next time you hope to wake me!” I called after her, closing the door all the way. I locked it, causing the lock to click. 

I turned back to where my bed lay. But instead of hopping back into the sheets, which I wished to do, I turned to my dresser and pulled open the top drawer. I grabbed some clothes for me to wear, seeing as pajamas wouldn’t be the best fashion choice to wear at a party.

It seemed like a normal morning until I pulled off my shirt. I gasped, staring at the mirror that leaned against the wall. I hadn’t bothered to buy an expensive one, so I had purchased an old bathroom mirror and set it on the ground.

On my left arm was a large tattoo of a blue bird. The tattoo stretched from my shoulder to my elbow. I stared at it in wonder. I noticed that behind the bird was an arrow. It seemed majestic and even beautiful. The beak was silver and stood out for the bright blue. 

I glanced down at my arm, and then back to the mirror. “Holy shit,” I whispered to myself, amazed by the beauty of the tattoo. “Holy fucking shit, I think that’s my soulmate mark.” 

Even though the reason for the tattoo should’ve been obvious, it had taken me a bit to realize, as I was shocked by the bird that now decorated my arm. I hadn’t even remembered it was my birthday. I had been distracted by my studies and Johanna pestering me about the party for the past week. 

I suppose that meant I had a soulmate. I hadn’t heard of someone else having a bird like mine, but there was quite a high chance that I didn’t know them, and of course, they might not be twenty yet. 

“Katniss, you’re taking forever!” shouted Johanna from outside my room.

I groaned, turning back to my dresser. “One moment!” I called, throwing on a tank top. After getting all my clothes on, I walked out of my room, unlocking it as I did so.

“Have you seen my flannel?” I asked, walking down the hall to the living room. 

Johanna sat on the couch, eating a bowl of cereal quickly. Her eyes were locked to the TV screen, watching what I figured was the news. I cleared my throat, causing Johanna to turn her head slightly towards me. “What?” she asked in between bites.

“Have you seen my flannel shirt?” I asked, standing closer to her.

Johanna mumbled something that I couldn’t hear. Eventually, she set her empty bowl down and turned to me, glaring. “What’d you ask? I was watching TV.”

“Have you seen my flannel?” I slowly asked, drawing each word out as if Johanna was a preschooler. 

“No, I haven’t. Try putting it away next time,” said Johanna, suddenly speaking quietly. I glanced at her eyes, which seemed to be staring at my left shoulder. “Oh damn, is that your…”

I nodded. “Yeah, guess so,” I replied, glancing around the room for my grey shirt. “Honestly, I forgot it was my birthday.”

Johanna raised her eyebrows curiously, still staring at my arm. “That’s a dope tattoo though,” she added, slowly nodding.

Shrugging, I replied, “I guess so. But let me know if you find my flannel.” I turned, walking into the kitchen. I quickly glanced at the stool beside the counter, noticing my shirt. I snatched it up and put my arms through both of the sleeves. I began buttoning it up as Johanna spoke again.

“So do you know anyone with the same tattoo thingy?” asked Johanna, craning her neck to see me from the living room.

I shook my head as I finished buttoning my flannel. “Nope, and it’d be pretty rare if I did,” I mumbled, walking over to the cabinet. I grabbed a box of cereal and a nearby bowl. It was probably dirty, but I didn’t feel like washing a dish at the moment.

“Makes sense.” Suddenly, I heard the sound of something fall. Concerned, I glanced around the wall to see Johanna standing over a broken vase. “Sorry, I tripped and knocked this over.”

“It’s cool,” I reassured Johanna, turning my attention back to my cereal. I poured it in quickly, making sure that the cheerios didn’t overflow the bowl. Once I had what I thought was a good amount, I closed the box and crammed it back into the cupboard, closing the cupboard door afterwards. Then I walked over to the fridge and grabbed a milk carton. 

After pouring in the milk, I returned the carton to the fridge, grabbing a spoon after. I set it in my bowl and carried it into the living room. “Mind if I sit here?” I questioned Johanna, gesturing to the spot beside her. She shrugged. I made sure not to step on the broken vase as I sat down. “I’ll clean that up after. I don’t want my cereal to get soggy.”

“Alright,” said Johanna, reaching for the TV remote. She fumbled around with the channels for a while before deciding on some random channel.

“What’s this?” I asked, munching on my cereal. 

Johanna shrugged. “No clue, but I think it’s some drama,” she replied, her eyes glued to the screen once more.

“Cool,” I mumbled while chewing. I watched as the commercial break ended. The camera panned up on a house at night. I watched as it switched over to three women in their car, which seemed to be a minivan. I stared at the characters, recognizing them. “Oh, this is Good Girls!”

I had seen a few episodes of it previously, but I hadn’t continued watching it. The show seemed interesting though, so I might watch it again.

“Oh, that show about badass female criminals?” asked Johanna, turning to look at me.

“Mhm,” I replied, still eating my cereal. “Gale showed me a few episodes of it.”

We watched in silence for the rest of the episode, too intrigued by the sudden cliffhanger to talk during it. After a boring commercial break, I had ended up on the couch, my limbs sprawled out. After the quick episode credits, Johanna spoke.

“So you’re spending your birthday watching TV with me?” she asked, smirking at me.

I shrugged. “I don’t have anything better to do,” I mumbled. 

“You have an amazing party to attend, which is being thrown by a really hot dude,” clarified Johanna, plopping onto the couch cushion beside me. “It’s not like you to be so… lazy.” 

“I’m just tired,” I lied, watching Johanna’s expression. To be quite truthful, I was really just bummed out about my potential soulmate. Not having one meant I could be free, and wouldn’t end up like my mother over some death. Of course I’d still be devastated, but I wouldn’t essentially abandon my children while I wallowed in despair.

And besides, none of the people I’d seen would make good partners or whatever. Sure, soulmates were apparently true love, but the idea was a bit repulsive. While I did enjoy having a beautiful bird tattoo, I didn’t enjoy the other things that came with it.

“If you say so,” mumbled Johanna, pushing herself off the couch. “I’m going to the bar and I’ll see you at Finnick’s this evening.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but Johanna continued. 

“No, I’m not hearing it. You’re going to enjoy it. The party’s at five, and I will physically drag you there if I need to,” she said, her tone cold. “I will also break your legs before dragging you, because I will not miss it.”

I gulped, nodding. While Johanna’s threats were never too serious, they were still threatening, and I’d seen her at the gym. She could easily snap my limbs if she really wanted to. “Noted,” I replied, sitting up straight as Johanna left the room. 

I heard her jangle some keys, grab a jacket, and walk out the door. Before she closed it she yelled, “I’ll get you some beer for the party as well!”

I shouted thanks back, hearing the door slam shut. While I wasn’t twenty one, that didn’t stop me from enjoying alcohol every once and a while. Johanna always supplied the beer at Finick’s dorm parties, happily inviting everyone to get drunk. 

I never partied hard like Johanna, but I would enjoy a few drinks, awkwardly leaning against the wall. I would make small talk, watch Johanna dance like a maniac, or just stand there quietly.

Johanna and Finnick were normally the lives of the party. Instead of being more quiet and collected, Johanna would go crazy. That was the most simple way to put it. Her routine involved doing shots, finding someone to hook up with, and come back to our dorm around three in the morning. To sum things up, Johanna and I weren’t very alike.

Somehow we had managed to be roommates for two years without killing each other, which was something I didn’t understand. Johanna and I were friends, but not too good of friends. Maybe the reason was I was too quiet, or because she was too insane. Either way, we got along fine with a few minor disagreements. 

Honestly, I had briefly wondered if Johanna and I could be soulmates, as I had with nearly everyone at some point, but that was quickly ruled out when she ate the rest of my ice cream. Besides, she had a pine tree tattoo. To be fair, Johanna had a number of tattoos, but that tattoo was her soulmate one. 

A few minutes after Johanna had left, I managed to get myself off the couch. I decided to go to my room and surf instagram, a decent way to kill the boredom. I figured I could celebrate my birthday or something, but some friends of mine had decided to do that next week, seeing as everyone had finals during the upcoming week. I didn’t mind at all, and quite frankly, I preferred waiting to party rather than doing that and dealing with Finnick’s party in one week.

I scrolled through the posts of people I followed, stopping when I saw what Finnick had posted. It was a selfie with a kid I recognized from visiting Finnick’s dorm a few days ago. I think his name was some kind of bread. I tried to remember it, but I couldn’t. I did recall calling him Pita Bread all day, but I highly doubted that was his name. I mean, why would someone name their kid Pita? All that would do is ensure that the kid would be mocked.

The photo was taken a few minutes ago, and the caption read, “Setting up for the par-tay.” I rolled my eyes. Of course he’d advertise that on his instagram. Finnick had quite a large following, but it was mainly young people who wanted to see his high quality photos of him swimming without a shirt on. 

I grimaced at the thought of his thirst traps. It was a tad too cringey for me to think about without wanting to vomit.

While Finnick was a cool and very considerate guy, he was too full of himself. As the most popular swimmer on the Panem University Team, he was well known throughout the school. Not only was he great at swimming, but he was also great at impressing people. I supposed that’s easy when you have a six pack.

I realized I hadn’t looked at a different post. I rolled my eyes at myself, scrolling down. I had been too easily distracted with my annoyance for Finnick, and my curiosity about Pita Bread’s real name. Even if I did discover his real name, I would probably stick with Pita Bread.

I continued to surf instagram for a while before changing to Netflix. It was annoying to watch on a tiny screen, but I felt like re-watching the first few episodes of Good Girls. It was quite a good show, and a very addicting one as well.

____________________________________________________________________________

At five in the evening, I arrived at Finnick’s. His dorm was a few blocks away from mine, as he lived on the other side of Campus. 

I figured Johanna would be pissed at me for being late, but I assumed she would be occupied. 

When I stepped inside to the flashing lights and blaring music, my suspicions were confirmed. I saw Johanna dancing against some tall guy I didn’t recognize. 

I continued walking into the dorm, plugging my ears. The music was so loud that I figured I’d go deaf after a few hours. It was a miracle that the University hadn’t shut down Finnick’s parties, but I thought I’d seen the RA and a few teachers attend in the past. It would’ve surprised me, but Finnick was too likeable to be hated or disliked by most teachers, even the strict ones.

I quickly made my way past the crowd dancing near the door. Glancing around the room, I noticed the table that was covered in refreshments. I grabbed a can of beer and popped it open. 

It seemed like the best option for an obnoxious party that I didn’t want to attend. I would’ve slipped out, but I didn’t want to offend Johanna, even though the chances of her noticing my departure would be slim. 

I sipped the beer quickly, trying to get the disgusting taste out of my mouth. I never understood why people drank these, even though I did it whenever I was able to. It tasted foul, but there was something exciting about drinking it. Maybe it was because I couldn’t legally drink it, or because there was the danger of drinking too much. Whatever the reason, I enjoyed most of the aspects of beer, minus the taste.

I grabbed a second can to have later and pushed my way past the crowds. Per usual, I leaned against an empty space on the wall. I glanced around the room, noticing the couple beside me. They seemed to be sucking each other’s faces off, so I looked away. 

Once I finished my beer can, I tossed it onto the ground. I was quite the environmentalist, but it was Finnick’s dorm, and it was already messy.

I made my way onto the “dance floor,” and started drinking another beer. I awkwardly danced, trying to locate Johanna at the same time. After a few minutes of doing so, I was unsuccessful. For the sake of the party, I continued to awkwardly dance, hoping I wasn’t noticed. After staring at the people dancing beside me, it seemed like I was invisible, which was good with me.

Unfortunately, I was wrong. A few minutes later, someone yelled at me.

“Hey!” they called over the music, causing me to look up. 

I noticed a hand waving in the back, and blond hair bouncing up and down. I peered over the crowd, immediately noticing who was calling for me. I ducked past the ongoing partiers, meeting up with them near the drink table. “Yeah?” I mumbled, my speech a bit slurred. I suppose that’s what happens when you’ve had two beers.

“You’re Katniss, right?” asked the boy, raising his eyebrows at me.

I nodded my head swiftly. My head suddenly hurt, so I stopped. I began to feel dizzy, but not dizzy enough to pass out of anything of the sort.

“And you’re… uh… Pita Bread, aren’t you?” I asked, barely able to focus on the boy in front of me. Before he could answer, I snatched a bottle of alcohol that lay, unopened on the table. I rummaged around my pockets for a bottle opener, finding it after a moment of doing so. I popped off the cap, holding the bottle and turning back to the boy in front of me.

Pita Bread chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Close enough. The name’s Peeta, spelled with two E’s instead of an I,” he explained holding out a hand.

I drunkenly took it, shaking his hand. I took a quick gulp of the bottle, setting it back down on the table. 

“You’ve drinken a lot,” he observed, gesturing to the bottle in my hand.

“What, have you been watching me?” I asked, clutching the bottle to my chest.

Peeta awkwardly chuckled. “No, not on purpose,” he explained. “Johanna pointed you out earlier before she ran off to do something. And besides, we met the other day, but I guess I didn’t make a good enough impression for you to remember my name.”

I nodded, feeling a tad guilty. “Sorry, I’m not the best with names. And yeah, it’s my birthday so I just felt like doing more than chilling like normal. Otherwise you wouldn’t have noticed me,” I added, eyeing Peeta carefully.

“Ah, happy birthday,” he replied. “So, how old are you turning today?”

“I turned twenty this morning, and thanks,” I replied, taking a quick sip of my drink. I quickly remembered what my age potentially indicated, but I quickly ignored that thought.

Peeta’s eyebrows raised. He must’ve realized what that meant. But instead of asking if I had a tattoo, he changed the subject. “Do you want to dance?” he asked, glancing at the people dancing around us.

I shrugged. Normally I would’ve said no, but it seemed like I had too much alcohol to realize exactly what he was saying. “Sure, I guess.” I immediately regretted it. It seemed too flirty for a guy I’d just met, especially one named after bread. I didn’t actually know why he was named that, so I just assumed his parents liked pita bread.

“Alright,” said Peeta, walking into the middle of the crowd. 

I set my bottle down onto the table before stumbling after him. I ducked under the rows of arms moving to the music, trying not to be wacked in the eye, which unfortunately, had occurred at a different party.

Peeta started swinging his arms to the music, quirkily dancing. He grinned when I shook my shoulders to the beat of the loud songs blasting from Finnick’s bluetooth speakers.

“C’mon, that’s all you got?” he asked, jokingly messing with me.

I glared at him, starting to move my feet. “Oh shut up,” I muttered. “It’s not like you’re doing any better.” 

Peeta chuckled. “Good point,” he added, awkwardly moving his arms up and down.

We continued to dance for a bit, but things got awkward quickly. There were multiple times where I stumbled over Peeta’s feet or somebody else’s feet. I was already bad at dancing, so a partially drunk me was awful at it.

While Peeta continued to dance, which he was enjoying too much, I snuck back to the drink table. I grabbed my bottle of alcohol and took a large sip. I set it down once more, still stumbling. Ever since the morning, I couldn’t get the thought of a soulmate out of my head, and apparently, getting drunk seemed like the best solution. 

Before I could slip back into the dancing crowd without my departure being noticed, Peeta tapped me on the shoulder. I whipped around, my braid whacking him in the face. “Sorry,” I slurred, hoping Peeta was alright.

“It’s alright,” replied Peeta, speaking loudly over the music. He seemed to notice the bottle that stood on the table near me. He grabbed it and set it farther away from me. 

I instantly put on a pouting expression, silently glaring at him.

“Hey, I’m just watching out for you,” he explained, sticking his hands out as if telling me to stop any possible accusations. “Maybe you should get home.” Peeta put his hands on my shoulders, trying to stop me from spinning around or toppling over.

At that point, I could barely think straight. I raised my eyebrows, a puzzled expression on my face. I stuck out my lips, squinting. I truly looked like I was either high or drunk, the ladder being true. 

Peeta steered me towards the door, but I dug my heels into the carpet, not wanting to leave. “No thank you,” I murmured, turning around.

Peeta sighed. He forcefully turned my shoulders once again, but he accidentally slipped my flannel down my shoulder. 

I flinched as I felt his gaze on my tattoo, but instead of saying something, he just stared at it. I carefully watched Peeta’s expression, which was hard to do while drunk, and noticed that his eyes were wide. Even in my drunken state, I managed to put one and one together. The tattoo must’ve meant something to him, as he seemed to recognize it. The only way he could is if a friend of his had it or if… he did. I gulped.

Peeta’s cheeks flushed a bright red. He muttered something I didn’t hear, turning on the spot. I watched as he disappeared into the crowd, quickly walking away. As he did so, he confirmed my suspicions. 

Unsure of what to do, I decided to stumble through the crowd and find a room. Perhaps the bathroom would be a decent place to have my anxiety attack in. I wasn’t panicking too much at the moment, I knew I would shortly.

I opened a door that I thought was the bathroom, but it ended up being Finnick’s bedroom. I rolled my eyes at the large poster Finnick had of himself before closing the door shut. It clicked, and I continued down the hall. After stumbling into the wall a few times, I figured the door in front of me was the bathroom. 

I turned the doorknob, and it opened. However, instead of seeing an empty bathroom, I saw Johanna and another girl. They seemed to be making out, but there seemed to be a little “under the clothes action,” as Johanna called it. I’m sure everyone calls it that, but I wouldn’t. 

They froze when they saw me, and my eyes went wide. “Sorry!” I shouted, my speech still slurred. I quickly slammed the door shut, trying to realize what I had seen. 

I heard some muffled voices and shuffling from the bathroom. Eventually, the door creaked open and Johanna poked her head out. She spotted me leaning against the wall, and snapped, trying to get my attention.

Barely able to keep my eyes open, I glanced up at her. She gestured for me to come closer, which I did.

Johanna seemed to notice how much I stumbled around, as she asked, “Katniss, are you drunk?” She suspiciously stared at me.

I shrugged. “Maybe,” I slurred, still squinting.

Johanna sighed, most likely with relief. She pulled me towards her, whispering, “You can’t tell anyone what you saw, okay?”

I nodded slowly.

“Sara’s not out yet, and we’re keeping it that way until she’s comfortable, got it?” asked Johanna, her tone threatening. I knew that when she was angry, she was still sweet and caring, which is what I liked about her.

“Yeah,” I said, drawing out each syllable. 

Johanna seemed to be satisfied with my drunken answer, and she returned to the bathroom.

I decided to continue walking down the hall, trying to avoid Peeta and the rest of the people partying. At some point I must’ve had more alcohol, but the rest of a night was somehow a blur. My memory wasn’t the best, and besides, I was quite drunk at the point. But at some point, I slowly tumbled over. Before I hit the hardwood floor, everything went dark.

**Author's Note:**

> To be quite honest, I don't believe in the concept of soulmates or true love, but I thought it'd be interesting to write a story regarding them. I also noticed a lot of stories I write are AUs that take place in school, but I like the idea of those kinds of stories.   
> I know I'm hopping into the fandom quite a few years too late, but I decided to re-read The Hunger Games books and watch the movies quite a few times over the course of the last month, so it seemed like a decent idea to write a few fanfics. I know I need to update my TOH fanfics as well, so I won't update this as frequently, but I'll do my best.
> 
> -Vince


End file.
